Game of social introduction

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a game of social interaction, the game including a plurality of participants. The participants include at least one host and a plurality of invitees. In an exemplary embodiment, the following steps for carrying out the game, the host selecting from a universe of people, a finite number of players, inviting the finite number of players to a social event, creating an event, which will be generally pleasing to the players; assigning a card to player, each card relative to a pre-determined topic; a first guest reading his/her card aloud, inviting social intercourse based upon the card which is read aloud; a second guest reading his/her card aloud; and repeating the inviting social intercourse and reading steps until each of the players at the event has had the opportunity to read and receive social intercourse based upon their card, whereby upon introduction of each player and social discourse is initiated and the ice is broken so that normal social intercourse can begin.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to the field of interactive social games. And, more particularly, this invention relates to interactive games dedicated to creating and stimulating social introductions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

We live in an age where de-humanized social engagement has become the norm. People pass one another on the sidewalk or in their cars and it's become our social custom not even to acknowledge each other's presence, let alone stop and converse with one another. This trend probably started with the mass use of automobiles and has continued with the increased frequency due to the advent of the everyday use computers. People today rely so much on computers that they no longer even need to be physically present at their place of employment. Thus, in our modern age, there exists even fewer opportunities to meet one another and socially interact.

When we are in high school and college, we have natural, built-in social interactive opportunities. There are mixers and dances and even school athletic events. Quite often we attend these events with our fellow students. This provides natural, built-in social interactive opportunities.

As we begin our careers and become involved with work to an increasing extent, our social opportunities become more limited. There are no dances or proms and no student athletic events. In fact, unless one is paired with his or her significant others, the opportunities for social interaction may be quite limited. Certainly meeting new people is more challenging.

For many bars or other types drinking establishments are simply unacceptable places for meeting others. As is commonly known, “The only thing one knows about people who drink in bars is that they drink.” Clearly this may not be the best way for one to begin a relationship.

Equally repulsive for others as a meeting place is the Internet. Perhaps nothing is more indicative of the non-personal nature of our society than the Internet. Correspondence on the Internet is with simple words or pictures, but we can never be certain of what we are receiving or from whom. For example, a male sender in an effort to entice men looking for woman, may display a picture of an attractive and scantily clad young woman. Of course, reversing the gender is equally well known. On can quite readily presume that this sort of behavior is done with ulterior motives. Such motives include scamming. Nevertheless, until such time as a personal meeting is had, there is no way of knowing from whom you are receiving an Internet message. More than a few scams have been successfully accomplished because of the non-personal nature of the Internet. Thus, many in our society completely rule out meeting new folks over the Internet.

Another disconcerting part of modern society is the increasingly high divorce rate. It is said that about one-half of all first marriages end in divorce and the statistics for second and later marriages is even higher. Thus, while finding a mate is difficult, the first time around, re-finding a mate is even more difficult. Not only are we not as physically attractive as we were when we were younger, but our natural built-in social networking opportunities are tend to be much more limited. By the time of the second and later marriages, school has long since past into history and along with its social interactive opportunities. Work, very often, turns out not to be the best place to meet someone. It is often better to maintain a professional distance with those at work.

Thus, there has developed, an increasing need to meet romantic and non-romantic others in a way which does not compromise our home or work environs. In other words, there is an increased need for a safe way for us to meet new people. This need is becoming increasingly important and as our computers and other modern tools make us more self-sufficient, they also have the unwanted effect of isolating us from the world of human interaction.

There is thus an increasing need for opportunities for social interaction that provides for a measure of physical safety and yet allows us to meet others without causing undue embarrassment or which is overly costly.

Too often, even when social opportunities occur time is spent with chit-chat and cocktail-like banter and substantative introduction is not made. There is a point of demarcation from being strangers to actually beginning to learn about the other person. In other words, there is a point where true introduction occurs and the beginning of meaningful social interaction occurs. This point is commonly know as “breaking the ice.” Without getting past this point of demarcation, meaningful social interaction is delayed.

What is needed is a method of providing social introductions, which is only minimally contrived and allows the individuals to still be themselves while expressing important character traits in a safe and readily available forum and which is cost effective. What is also needed is a method of getting past the “breaking the ice” point of demarcation, letting real social interaction begin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an effort to meet some of the long felt need for a lack of readily available social interaction and opportunities for such interaction, applicants herein have developed the instant invention, a game for social interaction in the form of social introduction.

It is an object of this invention to provide enhanced opportunities for social interaction

It is also an object of the game in accordance with this invention not to provide the social opportunity, but to make the most of the social opportunity when it does occur.

In accordance with the objects set forth above and as will be described more fully below, the game of social introduction in accordance with this invention, comprising the following steps:

inviting a select group of persons to attend a social gathering;

creating a gathering;

assigning a card to each guest, each card relative to a pre-determined topic;

a first guest reading his/her card aloud;

inviting social discourse based upon the card read aloud;

a second guest reading his/her card aloud; and

repeating the inviting social discourse and reading steps until each of the guests at the gathering has had the opportunity to read and receive social interaction based upon their card,

whereby upon introduction of each guest, social discourse is initiated and the ice is broken so that normal social intercourse can begin.

In another embodiment of the game of social introduction in accordance with this invention, the game is based upon a particularly theme. For example, a special occasion such as a wedding anniversary. All the cards therefore conform to some aspect of the anniversary or in some way relate to the couple or their year(s) together.

In still another exemplary embodiment of the game of social introduction in accordance with this invention, cards are non-randomly selected. This requires the host to know at least a little bit about the particular guests and to assign cards designed for that particular person in an effort to aid social interaction and of course, in an effort to facilitate breaking the ice.

Thus, it is advantage of this invention is to provide a game of social introduction, which facilitates the introduction of new people.

It is another advantage of this invention to provide such a game of social introduction in accordance with this invention, where strangers at the beginning of the social event become at least somewhat knowledgeable of each others' personality by the end of the event in a safe and supportive environment.

It is an additional advantage of this invention to provide such a game of social introduction wherein the game is not only a means to social introduction, but also serves as a way of celebrating a particular occasion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

For a further understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which like parts are given like reference numerals and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart of the general steps in accomplishing the game of social interaction in accordance with this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to appreciate the invention herein, a thorough reading of the background and Summary above and the description below are necessary.

In order to make any game successful, you need willing participants. Often times, folks are shy or reticent at meeting new people. In order to encourage such people to participate, there must be a pleasurable sounding experience in addition to the game itself. For example, a dinner engagement with people the potential invitee knows and is comfortable with tends to be a good start.

In order to start the game, in one embodiment in accordance with the invention, the host selects a theme for the game. For example, one particular theme is a wedding anniversary. Other themes include, Sweet Sixteen Parties, Star Wars, Team Building Parties, Christmas Parties, Engagement Parties, Recession Parties, Birthdays, Baby Showers, Retirement Parties, and Wedding Parties, just to mention a few. It will, of course, within the scope and spirit of the invention virtually any theme is possible.

Clearly, to some extent the theme of the game will determine the audience for the invitations. However, it is probably less important than one might think for the purposes of the game in accordance with this invention to come up with the precise audience. Even in the embodiment where there is no theme, the target audience is less important than the game itself. It has been found that the game is powerful enough to overcome initial social barriers despite having wide differentials between the personalities of the invitees.

Upon the host selecting the audience, invitations to the social gathering are sent to the selected audience. Typically, the invitations include a invitation to dinner or another dinning-type occasion. However, within the spirit and scope of this invention, the social events or gatherings that do not necessarily include meals.

Upon accepting the invitation, the invitee attends the gathering or social event. In the embodiment where the social event is a dinner party, each invitee is assigned a particular seat. Prior to dinning, a host will distribute cards to each of the invitees or pre-places the card. In an exemplary embodiment, the host places the game card under a plate. Quite clearly, the game card could be placed at the place setting or under a glass or similar table item.

In another exemplary embodiment, the cards are selected based upon the invitee's personality traits. Quite clearly, the host would need to have some knowledge about the individual invitee's personality as a requisite for this type of game. In another embodiment, the game cards are distributed at random.

Upon seating, all of the invitees, and the host read their card aloud. The card, depending upon the game type selected, can be humorous, thought provoking or merely entertaining. The type of game chosen as well as the invitee's personality will determine the kind of impression that is made.

Upon reading the card, social intercourse is encouraged by the host. For example if this is a serious quote, it may be that a moment in history is shared and perhaps how that moment relates to the present. For an anniversary embodiment, the card might bring to mind an important event in the couple's history or even about the couple's future. The same, of course, would be true about a Sweet Sixteen Party game embodiment. In a Stars Wars game embodiment, the invitee might be encouraged to act out a part or remember a specific quote or moment of great impact from a scene or an actor's behavior.

Quite clearly the possibilities of how the social discourse might occur would be infinite. In fact, the same group could play the same game and the results would be quite different. The personalities of the individual invitee and even their mood changes from day to day and consequently the answers and social discourse will also change.

The discussion or social discourse based upon the card serves the purpose of “breaking the ice.” The game participants are free to add as much or as little of their personality to the social discourse with which they feel comfortable. As play continues and players see that this is a safe environment, both physically and emotionally, more sharing and at a deeper personal level occurs.

Unlike a bar situation, the player knows that he or she is playing a game. No added games with ulterior motives are necessary and consequently, the sharing occurs at a more honest level than in an environment like a bar.

In an exemplary embodiment, the game includes time limits on the social discourse step. These time limits may be, for example ten (10) minutes, five (5) minutes or some other time depending on the number of guests and the theme of the event.

After the first guest reads his or her card and social discourse has been completed, the next invitee reads his or her card aloud. The process is repeated for each participant, including the host. Upon completion each participant not only feels like they've learned something about their fellow participant, but hey actually supported each other into revealing something of their own personality as well as that of their fellow participant. Not only is the ice broken, but there is provided a really good basis for friendship and even romance.

While the foregoing detailed description has described several embodiments of the game of social introduction in accordance with this invention, it is to be understood that the above description is illustrative only and not limiting of the disclosed invention. Thus, the invention is to be limited only by the claims as set forth below. 

1. A game of social interaction using a deck of playing cards, the game comprising the following steps: inviting a select group of persons to a social gathering; creating a gathering; providing a deck of playing cards defining a deck of unused playing cards; assigning a card to each guest, each card relative to a pre-determined topic; a first guest reading his/her card aloud; inviting social discourse based upon the card read aloud; a second guest reading his/her card; and repeating the inviting social discourse and reading steps until each of the guests at the gathering has had the opportunity to read and receive social intercourse based upon their card, whereby upon introduction of each guest, social discourse is initiated and the ice is broken so that normal social intercourse can begin and whereupon the deck includes cards that have been used.
 2. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein prior to the inviting step there is the additional step of selecting a gathering theme.
 3. The game as set forth in claim 2, wherein each card distributed is based upon the selected theme.
 4. The game as set forth in claim 3, wherein the theme is a wedding anniversary.
 5. The game as set forth in claim 3, wherein the theme is a sweet sixteen.
 6. The game as set forth in claim 3, wherein the theme is Star Wars
 7. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein each guest's card is pre-placed prior to the gathering.
 8. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein each guest's card is pre-placed in a convenient location for the guest prior to the gathering.
 9. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein each guest's card is pre-placed in a convenient location prior to the gathering.
 10. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein each guest's card is randomly selected.
 11. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein each guest's card is non-randomly selected based upon some significant personality trait of the guest.
 12. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein the gathering takes place at a dinning table prior to and commencement with a meal.
 13. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein the game takes place at a dinning table and wherein the card is placed under a dinning plate.
 14. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein the social discourse is limited to a short period of time.
 15. The game as set forth in claim 14, wherein the social discourse is limited to a short period of time.
 16. The game as set forth in claim 15, wherein the social discourse is limited to 10 minutes.
 17. The game as set forth in claim 1, wherein the game includes a plurality of participants and wherein there is at least one host and the rest are invitees. 